Rotary water-meter



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet l.

J. ROWBOTHAM.

ROTARY WATER METER.

No. 325,361. Patented sept. 1, 1885.

I i 1| Hummm n. PETERS Pmvmhagnmn wammgem na (No Model.) 2 Sheets-.Sheet 2.

J. ROWBOTHAM.

ROTARYWATER METER.

No. 325,361. Patented Sept. lj, 1885.

UNITED Sfrn'rns JOHN ROVBOTHAM, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY WATER-METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,361, dated September l, 1885.

Application tiled December l, 1384.

To a/ZZ whom it 11m/y concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN RoWnorHni-r, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in XVater- Meters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of certain improvements, fully described and claimed hereinafter, in that class of water-meters in which water admitted vto a casing is measured by vanes caused by the pressure of water to revolve in the said casing, my improvements being directed to the accurate and economical n'ianufact-ure of meters of this class, and to mechanism combined with the meter for causing the same to operate the shaft which actuates the indicator.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l, Sheet 1, is a vertical section of my improved water meter; Fig. 2, a transverse section on the line l 2, Fig. l; Fig. 3, a diagram showing the character of theindicator-gearing; Fig. 4, Sheet 2, perspective views of the two parts of the drum detached from each other; and Fig. 5, perspective views showing the sliding vanes ofthe drum.

The outer casing, A, of the machine con` sists of a cylinder, a, closed at one end, l), the other end, d, being composed cfa cover screwed or otherwise detachably secured to 4the cylindrical portion c 0i the casing, which has an inlet branch, c, and out-let branch, j'.

The construction of the drum B and sliding vanes D and E will be particularly described hereinafter. One journal, h, of this drum has its bearing in a projection, m, on the portion b of the casing, the bearing for the other jour nal, fi, being in a projection, n, in the cover (l.

The bearing t, made in the interior of the casing for the ends of the vanes, is made in the arc of a circle, of which the axis of the drum is the center, and extends from as to y.

The drum revolves in contact, but not severe frictional contact, with a portion of a partit-ion or filling-piece, G, the portion of the latter which coincides with the drum ext-ending from w to o, and the remaining portions, k L, of the said partition being clear of the drum, as shown in Fig. l.

The action of the meter under pressure of water or other iiuid entering the branch @will be readily understood without explanation. It

(No model.)

will also be understood how the quantity of water discharged at the outlet'f can be determined by first ascertaining the capacity of the space bounded by the drum and bearing t and the vanes D and E, when the lat-ter are in the position shown in Fig. l, and noting the speed at which the drum revolves.

The drum B consists of two castings, (shown in perspective in Fig. 4,) an annular rim, j, on one casting fitting into a corresponding annular recess iu the adjoining casting, so that the accurate coincidence may always be assured, screws 0r bolts q, passing through lugs p p, serving to secure the two parts of the drum together.

Slots S S', arranged at right angles to each other,would separate each section of the drum into four parts but for the central hub, u, and in these slots the vanes D and E nt snugly but so as to slide freely, each vane having a slot, s, so that the vanos may cross each other, the slots in the vanes being of such width.

The above-mentioned journal h is cast on the central hub of one part of the drum, and

the journal yi on the central hub of t-he other part.

The drum, constructed in the peculiar manner described, is au important feature of my invention, as it can be put together with that regard to accurate fitting which must be 0bserved in the making of water-meters.

The drum is fitted for use in the following manner: First, the inner face of each part of the drum is faced in a lathe and the recess is turned on one part to receive the annular rib on the part, after which the two parts are bolted together, the drum is chucked in a lathe, its periphery and ends turned, as also are the journals and other parts which have to tit accurately to the casing, after which the slots S S of the drum are preferably milled out, the two parts ofthe drum separated, and the vanes, which have been properly planed, introduced into the slots, andthe two parts of the drum again bolted together. After the segmental bearing-surfaces t and c of the casing, the inner faces of the end b, and cover l have been properly turned, and the bearings for the journal bored, the drum is introduced into the casing and the cover ci secured to the same.

It will be seen that the work to be done on.

ICO

the meter is that of simple turning, planing, boring, and milling by tools of ordinary construction.

The vanes, which are of uniform thickness throughout and can therefore be easily planed, have extended bearing-surfaces, and this and other advantages, as regards construction, will be readily recognized by expert mechanics.

Ony the cover d is cast a box, H, provided with a plate`, I, detachably secured to the box, which must be water-tight. This box contains the gearing through the medium of which the drum of the meter is caused to turn a shaft,WV, the latter being connected with the mechanism which operates the pointers of an indicator, which may be substantially the same as that of an ordinary gas-meter. The gearing contained inthe box may be varied; but I prefer that shown in the drawings, which consists of a worm'wheel, J, into which gears the threaded end portion of the journal t', the

Y shaft K, having a pinion or forming part of a pinion, M, which gears into a wheel, N, on the said shaft W, the latter' passing through a stuffing-box, g, on the plate I. Owing to this manner of connecting the drum with its gearing by forming on the end of the journal a worm or screw which is no larger than the bearing for the journal, the indicator and drum can be at any time readily'disconnected for examination, removal, or repairs by simply unscrewing the cover of the casing and withdrawing the journal from its bearing.

The box may be filled with oil or equivalent liquid, in order to maintain the journals of the shafts in a constantly-lubricated condition, although water from the meter will find its way into the box, or provision may be made for permitting the water to enter the same, and this will suffice to lubricate the journals of the shafts.

The avoidance of tortuous passages in water-meters is an important desideratum, for the attainment of which'I arrange the inlet and outlet passages. in such relation to the casing, drum, and vanes that a volume of water will take the slightly-curved but comparatively-direct course, indicated by the arrows,

from the inlet to the outlet; for, although the water has free access to the space above the dotted line 2, Fig. l, the water lodged therein is in a quiescent state. The space, therefore, cannot interfere with the free flow of water in the direction pointed out. The inlet and outlet passages are in line with each other, as indicated by dotted lines 3 3, which are away from the axis of the drum, and at right angles to a line, 4 4, drawn through the axis and bisecting the bearing-surfaces c'and t.

I have shown the portion lc of the partition G as provided with recesses; but Ido not here claim them, as they form part of the subject of a separate application filed by me March 13, 1885, Serial No. 158,706.

Although I have heretofore referred to a water-meter, the invention may be used as a motor, in which case one of the journals of the drum will project through its bearing, and

. will be furnished with a driving wheel or pulley.

I claim as my invention- 1. The herein-described drum for a watermeter, said drum being slotted and made in two parts detachably secured to each other, and having vanes adapted to slide in said slots, substantially as set forth.

2. The herein-described drum for a watermeter, said drum being made in two parts detachably secured to each other, and each part having four sections unitedby a central hub, and vanes adapted to the slots between the sections, substantially as described.

3. The combination ofthe meter-casing having a removable cover with a rotary drum provided with journals and bearings for the journals of the drum and indicator-gearing, one of the said journals having a threaded end no larger than its bearing to engage with said gearing, as set forth. v

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN ROWBOTIIAM. Witnesses:

J @HN M. CLAYTON, HARRY SMITH. 

